Saudi Government Convicts an Innocent Woman

Rebecca Hauser/January 24, 2008/Current Event 2/ 10:00pm/Human Rights

A Saudi Arabian woman, whose name was not released, has recently been charged by the government to 90 lashings. Why was this punishment put on her? She has been convicted of having an illegal affair with a man who was not her husband. Though she was engaged at the time, she met with a man at a supermarket and then went to a secluded area with him for several hours. 7 men walked upon the couple, who were in a peculiar predicament (the woman was undressed), and took it upon themselves to take “justice” into their own hands. They raped the woman and beat the man that she was with. Though these men have been charged for the assault and rape of this woman, the lady is still seen as a criminal. The Saudi government says that they were “forced to clarify the role of the woman and the man who was accompanying her in this case and its circumstances.” The woman has been charged with violating the covenant of marriage. The government is states that the only reason that the seven men attacked and raped the woman and her aquaintence is because they “violated the pure Sharia ruling.”

The Western world has been outraged about the conviction of this woman, and I can do nothing but agree. I am absolutely appalled at the fact that this woman will undergo 90 lashes for an affair. In no way am I condoning her actions, but this lady was not married yet; she was engaged. I am actually engaged, and while I could never imagine doing such a thing, I strongly feel that this issue is something that should stay between the couple and other people involved. I can not say that I feel that our government is the best in the world, however, this would never happen in America. We are used to our freedom, and I think that women especially forget exactly how lucky we are compared to the middle eastern women of this world. I am saddened to think that women, and human beings in general, must endure such standards of living. I do want to say that I have respect for how other countries govern themselves, but this is a clear violation of human rights. Though in their country and culture this is illegal, I still feel that it is morally wrong to punish a woman for a very personal choice. What surprised me even more was the fact that evidence has come out saying that this woman was actually forced to go with her alledged “aquaintence” and none of this was done on her own free will. The Saudi court refused to let the woman express this and dismissed it as unreliable evidence. I am in shock.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/11/24/saudi.rape/index.html?iref=newssearch